RWBY
by Dearing
Summary: A demo of a project I was working on to turn RWBY into a series of novelizations. Shelved for now (details in final chapter) If you're still interested, please have a read and let me know what you think. All feedback is greatly appreciated.
1. 0: The Beast and the Gentleman Thief

So, this is a thing.

 **PLEASE READ THIS**

To my followers, this is the reason my other stories have been on the back burner. Dragonoid is still being worked on and inch at a time, and if the stars align I might get it done by the end of the year.

In the meantime, this is another project I've been working on.

I go into greater detail in the forum thread on RT's site, to which there is a link on my profile, but the long of the short of it is: I want to write novelized versions of the RWBY series. As in properly published, actual books you might find on the RT Store. I think it's a good idea (again, as detailed in the forum link on my profile), but right now I'm trying to gauge what other people think, specifically you the fans and maybe even the people at Rooster Teeth if I'm lucky.

So that is why I'm uploading this; a demo fic of my latest draft. Throughout July, I'm going to upload the prologue, the first five chapters of the eleven I've already drafted plus Ren's fight with the King Taijitu to try and show you what I'm trying to achieve, what my writing style is like, and so on. Any feedback you can give, be it in reviews, on the poll I've set up on my profile, and/or, perhaps most importantly, on the RT forum thread, would be really appreciated.

As I said, this is still a draft. I've been told there are parts where it's overly descriptive, for example, even for a story I'm expecting people who haven't even heard of RWBY to read just as much as people who have, and I am working on trying to tone that down. Right now I'm trying to gauge public interest, and maybe even the interest of the guys at RT.

As I said, for the full story on the hows and whys of this project, and what I've done thus far to try and get it off the ground, please visit this Forum thread, the link to which can be found on my profile.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy.

EDIT: For some reason, the link wasn't showing up on my profile. Sorry about that.

roosterteeth dot com / forum / books / topic / 2261025

* * *

 **PROLOGUE**

 **THE BEAST AND THE GENTLEMAN THIEF**

Goodbye.  
That was how she had ended it. A soft word barely heard over the clatter of the train as it took her away from him.  
The White Fang would not be pleased. On the one hand, the objective had been completed. On the other, one of their own had tried to walk away from them.  
The key word being 'tried', when the higher ups got their way.  
Adam Taurus sent the call; mission completed, one complication, need pickup. It would be another half hour before he heard the roar of a Bullhead's engines in the quiet skies over the Forever Fall forest and felt their power thrum through his chest and the bone of his horns. In that time, he had sifted through his memories, every mission he and his partner had gone through together, trying to find any inkling he might have overlooked that may have that would have made her betrayal so obvious if he had seen it.  
 _"What about the crewmembers?"_  
The reluctance to take life was all he could think of. A soft heart wasn't becoming of a soldier loyal to the cause. Adam had warned her about it before. Perhaps he should have done more to make her understand.  
"Well, this is a fine little mess you've made. Shouldn't it be a little…bigger?"  
Adam closed his eyes behind his mask, trying to block out the sound of approaching footsteps and a walking stick poking through the wreckage of the spider droid that littered the flatbed train car. The last person he wanted to talk to right now was Roman Torchwick. He moved towards the parked Bullhead, only to be stopped by the end of the grey cane poking into his chest.  
"Up bup bup! Explain first, _then_ you get a ride home."  
Adam scowled at the cane's owner, a look only partially seen behind his mask. Roman was a tall and lean, a sharp dresser in his long white coat and red rimmed bowler hat, his flame red hair worn long and swept across the right side of his face. He wasn't a soldier, he wasn't even really with the White Fang. Adam had watched him flee from any fight he'd found himself in at the earliest possible moment, although admittedly Melodic Cudgel, the cane currently aimed at his heart, had given Roman's enemies much to think about (and a few new holes in their bodies) before the inevitable retreat. That said, if given the chance Adam knew he could break this grinning Human in two. The higher ups of the White Fang had firmly asked him not too.  
"We got what you wanted," he said tersely, pushing the cane away. "We were about to move on to the next car when we were attacked…again."  
"So I see," Roman looked around the flatbed with no interest, prodding a nearby severed spidery mechanical leg with the edge of his shoe, then grimacing when it left an oil stain on the leather. "And where _is_ the next car? Or the rest of the train for that matter?"  
Adam looked away, up the tracks. "My partner didn't agree with the mission. She cut the line while I was distracted. I don't think she's coming back."  
"Obviously." Torchwick gave an annoyed sigh. "Yet another mess that needs cleaning up by yours truly. But alas, it will have to wait-"  
"It _cannot_ wait," Adam growled. "One of our own has gone rogue. The White Fang will not allow it."  
"Oh, don't worry your pretty horned head about it." The Human rolled his eyes. "I've said I'll handle it, so I'm going to handle it! But our 'arrangement' hangs on a few more important things than finding your lost kittens. So," something hard hook itself around Adam's neck, the handle of the Melodic Cudgel wrenching him down to come nose to nose with the now humorless face of Roman Torchwick, " _It_ can wait. _I_ will handle it, and _you_ will not tell me how to run my business again. Am I understood?"  
Adam stared him down, not intimidated. It took all of his willpower to just nod his head, and not snap Torchwick's neck like a twig.

"There's a good boy." The grin returned, and came with a pat on the head, the offending hand quickly moving away before Adam could slice it off with his sword Wilt's blade. "Now come along, you can help the other mongrels load up the cargo. There's only so much time before Mr. Schnee will start looking for his train…or the Grimm start thinking about inviting us to lunch."  
Adam watched him go, reluctantly following on behind. That was what angered him the most about Roman Torchwick. Because no matter how 'helpful' the White Fang thought he might be to the cause, it was plain to see that this Human was no friend to the Faunus.


	2. I: Little Red

**I.**

 **LITTLE RED**

 _Some time later…_

An easy job. That's what Junior said. Just meet the employer, go where he wants, do what he says and no questions asked.

Torres had always wondered why his boss felt the need to say that. If you were hiring muscle from the club of Hei 'Junior' Xiong, your activities weren't really the kind you'd want to explain in detail.

Melanie and Miltia had picked out four from the crew, Torres, Lopez, Sanchez and Frank. Junior's orders sent them to the back alleys of Vale to meet their employer, one Roman Torchwick; the Gentleman Thief.

The job _was_ simple. He wanted to rob all the Dust store's in the capital of Vale of their Dust supplies…in a single night.

Torres wondered if the pause for effect had really been necessary.

Torchwick asked if there were questions. Torres kept his mouth shut. Lopez didn't. He wanted to know how Torchwick expected four guys to steal so much Dust in one night. Torchwick had responded with a smack to the back of Lopez's head.

"Quietly," he'd sneered, "and without further interruptions."

No one else had any questions after that.

Torchwick led the way into the night, deciding a direct route through Vale's crowded streets was better than sneaking through the back alleys. The people parted before him, though if it was out of fear of his infamous face or just because he rudely pushed them out of his way, Torres wasn't quite sure.

It was a shame really. The Moon was waning now. Two thirds full with her side shattered and split. A nice dim light, perfect for some back alley skulking. Such a waste.

'From Dust Til Dawn' was the first shop they were to hit. Dust, Crystals…books. Small, out of the way…and open for business.

Torres was surprised. So was Torchwick, but he wasn't so obvious about it.

The shopkeeper, an elderly man with well-worn clothes and all hair gone from the top of his head, smiled warmly when Torchwick walked through the door. The smile faded as Torres followed in behind, with Lopez, Sanchez and Frank behind him. The store was deadly quiet now, and Torres didn't even have his sword out.

Torchwick looked around the shop, idle eyes taking in the racks of Dust dispensers along one wall and the many colored Dust crystals on display beneath the glass counter. Then he looked at the shopkeeper, and tapped ash onto the counter between them from his cigar.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" He asked, almost curiously, as Frank put pistol to the old man's face. The effect was predictable; hands up and a panicked look.

"P-please," he stammered, "just take my Lien and leave!"

"Shhh, calm down, we're not here for your money." He almost sounded sincere, sympathetic even. Until he turned to Sanchez. "Grab the Dust."

Sanchez put his case down, pulling out one pf the large glass canisters from within and headed for the Dust dispensers. Torres followed his lead with Frank, Lopez setting his own empty case on the counter as he eyed the Dust crystals beneath the glass.

He looked at the shopkeeper, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The crystals were quickly shoved into the empty case, one shaking handful at a time.

Torres made a beeline for the pale blue Ice Dust dispenser, canister in hand. Maybe if he was quick, he could score a couple of cartridges for himself. It wouldn't give his sword the same kick as Fire Dust, sure, but it would be better than nothing at all. Junior never gave them enough cartridges for the job anyway…

Then his thoughts slowed to a halt, as one of the most annoying sounds in the world rose up from behind the shelves. The sound of music, played through headphones, loud enough for a tinny sound to be heard by everyone around the listener whether they wanted to hear or not.

On a normal day, an annoyance on the tram over to the club. But in the middle of a job…

Well, the store _was_ open.

Torres set the canister down, pulling his sword from his belt as he peered round a display of Dust shards in brown paper bags. He saw…a kid? Or maybe just a short adult, head bowed over a magazine snagged from one of the nearby racks. She was a girl, whatever she was, little legs clad in tights and black lace up boots all he could see from under a bright red cloak she'd pulled up over head.

Torres scowled at the witness, his blade glowing red with Fire Dust. "Alright kid, put your hands where I can see 'em."

The girl didn't turn around, her music still thudding to a heavy beat in her ears.

Annoyance flitted over Torres' face. He didn't like to be ignored. "Hey! I said hands in the air!" He advanced on the girl, a rough hand pulling her round by the shoulder, her hood falling off her head from the jolt. Silver eyes stared in surprise from a pale face, under a fringe of dark red hair cut boyishly short.

Yeah, definitely a kid.

Torres scowled again, tapping the side of his head. The kid caught on, quickly pulling her headphones down to around her neck with a friendly smile.

"Yes?"

It took all of his effort not to strangle the girl then and there. "I _said_ , put your hands in the air, now!"

The girl frowned, clearly confused. "Are you… _robbing_ me?"

Torres stared at her, exasperated. "Yes!"

"Ooohhh…"

Torres couldn't tell you what happened next. All he could remember was something hard slammed into his chest, and sending him sprawling across the store like rag doll.

A few moments later, Lopez went flying over his head through the front window, a red blur following in his wake.

* * *

One flying henchman usually didn't concern Roman. Every so often the occasional do-gooder might catch some of the dumber men he hired off guard (risks of the trade and all that), so sending another man in usually meant the job could proceed smoothly once again.

When the second man went soaring past Roman's head however, this one fast enough to smash though the store window, Roman thought it prudent to at least raise his head and see what was going on.

He became rather annoyed when all he saw was one little girl.

She was so small, even more so crouched over the semiconscious grunt at her feet. A slim body, in a simple dress of black and red under her cloak…

No, not a dress. A combat skirt. Which could possibly mean…

The girl stood up, a weapon unfolding in her hands. A black staff extended from a rose red core as she slung it over her shoulder, the crimson blade of an armored scythe uncurling up behind her at the weapon's head. Roman watched as this little girl twirled a weapon twice her size into graceful fluid arcs, before slamming the curved blade down hard. Concrete split and the scythe dug deep. The girl smiled, her tinny music ending with an abrupt click.

Ordinarily, a hero with a scythe would be trouble enough, but now Roman could see the barrel of a rifle embedded into the staff. And annoyingly, pointed at him.

Folding Frame technology. Creating the unholy offspring of weaponry that should never be combined since the Fates knew when.

"Okayyy…" he eyed his three remaining henchmen. They eyed the girl warily, and the broken body at her feet. "Get her."

Reluctantly, the three ran into the fray.

Perhaps if they hadn't been so obvious, the girl might not have been ready for them. Perhaps she wouldn't have vaulted over her sniper-scythe's stock as Torres lunged at her, spinning around the staff to miss his sword by inches and introduce her boot to his face. As he went flying back through the window and into the shelves, perhaps she wouldn't have used her momentum to yank the weapon out of the ground, a pull of the trigger sending her into a spin and sending Sanchez spinning into the air when he got too close. Perhaps Frank wouldn't have been slammed into the concrete when she stopped, the rear end of the blade crushing him down hard enough to crater the ground. And perhaps Lopez, whose flight through the window seemed to have knocked some sense into him, tried to just gun the redhead down, perhaps she wouldn't have propelled herself with more trigger pulling out of the way of every shot. Perhaps the sniper-scythe wouldn't have smashed the girl into Lopez' chest, sending him skyward as she caught the concrete with the tip of her blade, swinging herself around just in time to smack him into the ground with the flat of her weapon, and leave him in a crumpled heap at Roman's feet.

Perhaps, if they hadn't. But they did. And she wiped the floor with them.

" _You_ were worth every cent. Truly, you were." The heap moaned pathetically, flinching away as the thief dropped his cigar too close to his face. He turned his attention to the girl, taking in a tense defensive posture and the fire in silver eyes. It was plain to see she thought there was a fight still to be had here. Too bad the sound of distant sirens made Roman see otherwise. Instead, he smiled. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening!" He raised his cane, Melodic Cudgel, towards his opponent, his finger on the trigger as the reticle flipped open off the end with a soft pop. "But I'm afraid as much as I'd love to stick around, _this_ is where we part ways."

The trigger clicked, and a blinding flare of red screeched from the barrel. Light and heat erupted where the girl had stood, fire and broken concrete sent flying in all directions.

Roman didn't stick around to admire the destruction. He had already been running even as he fired, now jumping up the emergency ladder of a nearby building two rungs at a time. He sent the signal to Cinder as he leaped onto and across the rooftop. This job was a bust, like it or not.

"Hey!"

He stopped at the edge and the squeaky demand, eyes closed in frustration at the sound of light feet hitting roof tiles and a sniper rifle being cocked.

"Persistent little…"

At least he'd reached the edge of the building.

The Bullhead's twin engines roared as the VTOL aircraft rose into view. Roman smiled as the hatch opened and stepped on board. At least something had gone right tonight, even if it was just the getaway. Of course, it wasn't a getaway until you got away.

With a grin, the gentleman thief turned back to his little red assailant, a Fire Dust crystal in hand. "End if the line, Red!"

He lobbed the crystal, waiting for it to clink to a stop at the confused girl's feet before he took aim and pulled the trigger.

The explosion was glorious, raw power erupting into fire and light. Roman threw his head back and cackled madly at the sight…

Until the dust cleared, and a Circle of Protection glowed a deep purple was revealed before the crater.

To Roman's annoyance, it hadn't been cast by the girl.

Another Huntress, tall and blonde, stood between the Bullhead and the brat, glaring at him through oval specs, a cape of purple and black fluttering in the engine backwash. In her hand was a riding crop. A riding crop that dissipated the Circle with one flick and sent a salvo of purple projectiles into the Bullhead's side with another. The aircraft rocked with blow after blow as Roman staggered to the cockpit, Cinder struggling with the controls as alarms screamed above them.

"We've got a Huntress!" The statement was obvious, and Cinder's glare told him so. She left the cockpit without a word, Roman grabbing the control stick as a burst of energy above brought dark clouds rumbling into existence.

Ice shards the size of his fist rained down on the Bullhead, the armor pummeled, the cockpit's canopy smashed as a particularly large chunk missed Roman's head by a hair.

Then, Cinder got to work.

He didn't see the first attack, but he heard its scream even over the Bullhead's roar, the usual chill running down his spine from the fiery attack. The blonde Huntress returned in kind, gathering up shards of shattered roofing that Cinder's bombardment left behind, a flick of her hand forming a spike of broken mortar and a wave of her arm shooting it towards her opponent. He saw fireballs shoot from the open cargo bay, the spear shattering in one, two, three shots, only to reform in moments, twisting and wreathing through the air towards the cockpit. Roman banked hard, wincing at the sound of concrete scrapping against the fuselage, barely deflected.

The Huntress was not put off. Again, the concrete reformed, three separate attacks snaking around the Bullhead, looking for the perfect place to strike the killer blow.

Cinder didn't give them their chance. Roman felt her last attack rush through the Bullhead and out into the night. A wall of searing heat expanding in all directions, turning the fractured roofing to ash…and cinders.

Now the redhead tried her hand, her scythe's blade curling up into the barrel as she fired pot-shots at her attacker. Cinder blocked every bullet, one of which pinged through the cockpit to embed in the shattered canopy. Another scream reverberated in Roman's skull as a ring of fire encircled the Huntresses, erupting into explosive flame, engulfing the enemy in blinding glare.

Roman decided not to wait around to see if they survived. Without a backward glance, he closed the cargo hatch and pushed the engines forward, taking him as far away from the maddeningly strong little girl and her blonde backup as quickly as he could make the Bullhead fly.

It would be a few minutes before he was certain he couldn't hear the sound of bullets pinging off the fuselage.

Cinder's heels on the metal deck brought his eyes to the door. Green met with amber, latter narrowed and annoyed. Roman smiled sheepishly.

"Well… _that_ escalated quickly."


	3. II: The Beacon Headmaster

So, I was visiting my profile today in preparation for uploading this, when I noticed that not only was the link to the forum thread missing, but so were several links to other projects I have across the web. So to anyone trying to find the link last week, I'm sorry about that. Because Fanfiction doesn't let us put links in stories, I've put partial link information below. Just go to RT's site and type the following after the web address:

 **viewTopic . php ?id=2261025 &page=1  
**

This week's chapter is fairly short (sorry about that), mostly because I felt the end and start of chapters one and two respectfully were stronger without this tacked on.  
Also, I really wanted to use this chapter title. Anyone who watched afternoon children's tv in the UK during the late 90s will probably get it.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you will support this project.

* * *

 **II.**

 **THE BEACON HEADMASTER**

Ruby had only asked for an autograph.  
Was that really worth the dark scowl and the firm hand on her shoulder? Had the silent treatment and her protests ignored really been necessary as her savior had put her in the back of a car bound for who knew where? What about now? Was putting her in a cold, blank windowless room with nothing but a pair of chairs and steel table between them a just reward for helping the public?  
All Ruby had asked for was the autograph of Glynda Goodwitch; this strong, brave Huntress who had come out of nowhere to save her skin, now glowering at her scroll computer tablet as she paced around the table again and again. The redhead fidgeted nervously in her seat as she watched the Huntress pace.

"Sooo…is this going to take long?" She tried to smile, her gesture ignored, "'cause Yang said she only had a few more questions for this Junior guy so I should really-"  
"I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady." The Huntress' words deep, bringing Ruby's protests to a halt. "You put yourself and others in great danger. If it were up to me you'd be sent home...with a pat on the back…" Ruby smiled hopefully, "...and a slap on the wrist." The riding crop cracked the table hard, Ruby flinching away with an "Eep!". "As it is however, there is someone here who would like to meet you."  
As if on cue, the door latch clicked, and Glynda stood aside to let the new guest into the already cramped room. He held a plate of cookies in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. Ruby liked him better already.  
The bringer of sugary treats smiled at the youngest in the room, watching with amused brown eyes from over round tinted specs at the childish anticipation in the young girl's face. He was tall and lean, clothed in green from scarf to jacket to boot, a mop of unruly hair surprisingly grey for the face that it fell around.  
"Miss Ruby Rose," the newcomer leaned over the table, staring at her intently. "You…have silver eyes."  
Ruby blinked in surprise. "Erm…Thank you?"  
The man smiled, standing up abruptly. "So! Where did you learn to do this?"  
He gestured to Glynda's scroll, now held out for Ruby to see. She watched herself flip and shoot her way through the gang of goons, taking out each one in a matter of seconds.  
She looked so cool.  
She turned back to the man nervously. "S-Signal Academy."  
"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapon combinations ever designed?"  
"Well, one teacher in particular."  
"I see…" The man contemplated something for a moment, before setting the plate of cookies down on the table between them. One cookie was hesitantly nibbled on by the redhead. The rest were swiftly shoveled into her mouth one after another when no complaints came. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow…"  
"Ouh! Dat's mui uncal!" The man frowned at the speech mangled by a mouthful off cookie, Glynda wincing at the spray of crumbs across the table that came with it. Ruby blushed, and hastily swallowed. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm all like Hooowaaah! Witchaaaa!"  
"So I see," the man smiled again at the strange poses she pulled. "So tell me Miss Rose," he sat down in the chair opposite, the intent stare returning to his brown eyes, "what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"  
"Well…" Ruby leaned in, as though she was about to reveal her darkest secret. "I want to be a _Huntress_."  
"You want to slay monsters?"  
"Yeah!" She gushed. "I only have two more years of training left at Signal and then I'm going to apply to Beacon Academy! You see, my sister Yang is starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and _I'm_ trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. Our parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, Hey, I might as well make a career out of it!" She giggled. "I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, gosh, you know!"  
 _Her_ , a _Huntress_! She squealed happily at the thought. The man smiled at her display, waiting patiently for her to calm down before he leaned in across the table. "Do you know who I am?"  
Ruby grinned. "You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon Academy."  
Ozpin smiled. "Hello."  
"Nice to meet you."  
"You want to come to my school?"  
"More than _anything_."  
Ozpin sat back, still smiling even as he studied her. He glanced at Glynda, who scowled at his silent question, turning away arms crossed with a "Humph!"  
Then, turning back to Ruby, Ozpin said the two greatest words ever spoken to the young Huntress-to-be:  
"Well…okay."  
Today just became the best day ever!


	4. III: Welcome To Beacon

Another chapter up. I hope your enjoying so far.

I'm still not sure why my profile isn't showing my website links though. In the meantime, the only way I can guarantee you finding the forum thread is if you go to the Rooster Teeth forums and search for "RWBY in book form?" for more information, or if you just want to support the project.

As a side note, I know 'Welcome to Beacon' has already been used as an episode title in Volume 2, but I think it's okay to use it here, seeing as I don't write a chapter for each episode. If the project goes ahead, I was thinking the chapter where Ruby meets Cinder and co would probably be 'Welcome to Beacon...again.'

As always, constructive criticism is always welcome.

* * *

 **III.**

 **WELCOME TO BEACON**

Was this the way her life was supposed to be going, Ruby wondered? Had the Fates always expected her to be in that Dust shop on the night it just happened to be robbed? Had they placed Glynda Goodwitch close by to help keep her alive and take her to Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy? Had they told him to take Ruby in, accepting her into his school a full two years ahead of schedule? But most importantly, were they really so sadistic as to give her all this, only to be squeezed to death in the powerful arms of her beloved sister?  
Yang Xiao Long; blonde, beautiful and a bone crushing hugger. No one at Signal had ever figured out how two girls so different from each other from looks to personality could ever be sisters. One look from Yang had always brought such conversations to a sudden stop.  
Ruby of course didn't care about the reasons. Yang was her sister. That's all she needed to know...that, and how to breathe when said sibling was crushing her lungs.  
"Please...stop…"  
"Oh but I still can't believe my little sister is coming to Beacon with me!" Yang practically squealed, somehow crushing her sister harder into her chest. "This is the best day ever! I'm so proud of you!"  
"Breathe...breathe!" Ruby squirmed with all her might as she saw stars, Yang mercifully releasing her iron grip with a wide grin before she blacked out entirely. "Really Sis, it was nothing-"  
"Are you serious?" The blonde stared. "You stopped a major Dust heist, took out a half dozen mooks _and_ got booted up two years into Beacon and you call that _nothing_!? Ruby, that's incredible! Everyone at Beacon's going to think you're the bee's knees."  
The thought made Ruby's stomach clench. Ever since she'd stepped onto the airship, other future students had been giving her strange looks and whispered amongst themselves in urgent tones. Her face hadn't exactly been plastered across the news networks, but word had still spread fast.  
That worried her. And annoyed her.  
"Maybe I don't _want_ to be the bee's knees okay!?" She glared at her sister. "I don't want to be _any_ kind of knees Yang! I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees…"  
She turned away, embarrassed by her own outburst. It just sounded so...childish, even if it was true. A fifteen year old girl at school full of students seventeen and up. Those alone made her feel too unique for comfort.  
"Are you okay?" She felt Yang's hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently through her cloak and dress. "Sorry. I just thought you'd be more excited."  
"Of course I'm excited! I just..." she turned back to her sibling, struggling to find the words in Yang's troubled face. "I got moved ahead two years, Yang. I don't want people thinking that makes me special."  
She felt an arm, warm and strong, gently snake around her shoulders. Her insecurities faded, as they always did, as Yang pulled her into a one armed hug. No lung crushing, rib cracking, excitement powered death grip. Just a warm embrace and warmer words.  
"You _are_ special Ruby. Doesn't matter if it's now or two years from now. Everyone's going to see it, trust me."  
Ruby nodded, even though she didn't quite believe it. Why did she have to be special anyway? Didn't wanting to be a normal Huntress a good enough goal to work towards?  
A chime rang softly through the observation deck, breaking Ruby from her thoughts as the arched windows darkened and holoemitters shimmered to life on the walls. A tall, pale woman appeared against the darkened glass; platinum blonde hair mostly tied back, a cape of purple and black pulled around slim shoulders and eyes of green peering out sternly from behind oval specs.  
Ruby knew exactly who she was, even before she spoke her name.

"Good morning students," Glynda Goodwitch's voice was calm and smooth, addressed with the barest hint of a smile. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, and it is my pleasure to welcome you all to Beacon Academy. You are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious school. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is _our_ turn to provide _you_ with the knowledge to protect our world."  
Light returned to the deck as the hologram faded and the windows cleared. The city of Vale spread out below, the students around Ruby cooed and gaped, pointing out familiar places to each other as the airship followed the river up to where Beacon Academy stood on the cliffs above.  
But Ruby's eyes weren't on Beacon or the city. As she approached the nearest window, all she could look for was the island of Patch, just beyond the harbor, a small smile growing as she just managed to pick out familiar towers in the morning mist.  
"Look, you can see Signal from up here!" She pressed her hands to the glass, straining to get one last look at her former school. "I guess home isn't too far after all!"  
"Beacon's our home now."  
Ruby turned her eyes forward, to where Beacon Academy rose out of the cliffs. Home. Yang was right. Like it or not, home was a lot closer than the island of Patch now.  
A gut wrenching heave off to her right broke the moment, thankfully dry and not followed by the sound of vomit hitting the deck. Ruby turned a pitying gaze on her sickly fellow flyer; a blond boy in jeans and basic armor, currently doubled over and trying his hardest not to lose his lunch.  
"It's not long now Jaune," he soothed himself quietly. "Come on, you can hold it in a few more minutes 'til we land right? Y-yeah... I think-" the blond suddenly turned a brighter shade of green. "Nope."  
He was gone. A yellow blur so fast Ruby almost missed him leave. Yang watched the blur disappear into the restroom, unimpressed. "Well...I guess the view isn't for everybody."  
Ruby could only giggle. "At least it was a nice moment while it lasted."

Beacon Academy. A sprawling campus of high gothic towers and wide open plazas sitting atop the cliffs where the Emerald Forest met the boarders of the city of Vale far below. It was said that only the world of Remnant's best and brightest trained to become Huntsmen and Huntresses here. And now Ruby was about to count herself amongst them.  
She had stepped off the airship with mouth agape, narrowly avoiding the airsick blond now vomiting into the nearest trashcan. Yang too had been stunned into silence. Her lilac eyes were glued to the view; the sprawling city spread out below them and split only by the rivers of blue that practically sparkled in the morning sunshine.  
Yang let out a low whistle. "The view from Signal's got nothing on th-"  
"Ohmigosh sis!" The blonde felt an iron grip on her arm as Ruby squealed in her ear. "That guy's got a collapsible staff!" She gasped dramatically, half pulling her sister further into Beacon's main plaza. "And that girl over there's got fire sw-owowow!"  
"Easy there, little sister." Yang smirked patiently, dragging the redhead back to a standstill by her hood. "Relax a bit. They're just weapons."  
Ruby stared at her, as though she'd grown an extra head. "Just _weapons_!? They're an extension of ourselves, Yang! They're a part of who we are! Oh, they're so cool…"  
"Well, why can't you swoon over your _own_ weapon?" Yang glanced at her sister's back, where Crescent Rose lay hidden beneath her cloak. "Aren't you happy with it?"  
Ruby frowned, pulling her weapon out of its sheath. With expert ease she unfurled it, extending it into a scythe nearly twice her size with a blade that could cut a beowolf cleanly in half. And then she cuddled it.  
"Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose," she said fondly, "I just really like seeing new ones. It's like meeting new people, only better-Eep!"  
"Ruby, come on!" Yang sighed pulling her sister out of her thoughts by pulling her hood over her head. "Why don't you go out and make some friends of your own?"  
"But I don't need friends," Ruby gave her sister a curious look from beneath her hood. "Why would I need friends if I have you?"  
"Well, that's really the thing." Yang rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. Ruby felt a wave of dread wash over her. "You see...actually...myfriendsarehereandIgottagocatchup'kayc'yabyeloveyou!"  
Then she was gone, a puff of dust and a bewildered sister left in her wake.  
Panic set in. Yang was gone, most of the other students had left the plaza and even the airship had taken off back towards Vale. She hadn't even been at Beacon for five minutes, but already Ruby was lost and confused. Were they supposed to go to their dorms? Where _were_ the dorms? Did they even _have_ dorms? She felt her head spin as her mind reeled, trying desperately to keep calm as she came to one logical conclusion: "I don't know what I'm doing…"  
And then, she was on her back.  
Ruby vaguely remembered feeling something hit the back of her knees before she found herself on the ground, the smooth stone of the plaza cold against her back. Scattered cases of brilliant white that hadn't been there before were also a good indication that she had tripped over something, possibly the ornate luggage trolley currently entangled with her legs. She was really starting to miss Signal. At least at her old school she knew where everything was and wasn't attacked by sneaky ninja trolleys.  
" _What_ are you doing!?"  
Ruby looked up, only to be blinded by more white. White clothes, elegant and form fitting. White skin, almost porcelain. And white hair, pulled back into a long flowing ponytail. White, white, white. Blue eyes though. Blue, narrowed, _angry_ eyes.  
A young woman was glaring down at her, thin arms on narrow hips, absolutely livid if the ugly scowl on her face was anything to go by. The cases currently scattered around were probably hers. Ruby was _really_ missing Signal right now.  
"I-I'm sorry-"  
"Sorry!?" The girl stared indignantly as Ruby picked herself up. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused? Give me that!" She snatched a case out of Ruby's hands as she tried to hand it to her, opening it to reveal a series of small bottles held secure inside. "This is Dust; mined and purified from the Schnee quarry." She paused expectantly. "What are you, brain-dead as well as idiotic?" She pulled out a bottle from the case, a glittering red powder clearly seen behind the glass a soft tinkling sound coming with every swing for emphasis, along with a small puff of crimson coming from the bottle's top.  
Ruby's nose started to itch.  
"You do know what Dust is right?" The girl in white was still yelling, now with the tone of a teacher punishing a small child. "Nature's Wrath? Dust! Fire, water, lighting, energy!"  
Ruby was all too aware of the properties of Dust, which was why she was trying her hardest not to sneeze in the face of the ever growing cloud of the stuff the girl was unintentionally throwing in her face. Her eyes were watering, her nose becoming unbearable. If this girl didn't stop wafting that bottle around, she might-  
"Are you even listening to me?" The girl was _still_ yelling at her, still waving that bottle around. "Is any of this sinking in? What have you got to say for yourself?"  
Ruby couldn't help it. She sneezed. Hard.  
A plume of fire erupted violently into the girl's face, smoke billowing out in all directions as the ground shuddered from the sudden explosion.

The girl, once in white, blinked slowly, her pristine clothes now covered with ash. Beneath a layer of soot, her face quickly turned red. Around them, her aides and luggage bearers took a large step back.

"You complete dolt!" The once white woman exploded. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

Ruby hung her head with a wince. "I'm really _really_ sor-"

"I mean what are you even _doing_ here? Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well…I-I-"

"This isn't your ordinary combat school, you know!" The girl towered over her now, her hateful glare making Ruby feel so very small. "It's not just sparring and practice here for fun and games. We're here to fight monsters, so you should watch where you're going!"

Ruby scowled, finally raising her gaze to the angry blue eyes above her. Who did this girl think she was anyway? If she hadn't been wafting around that vial around… "Hey, I said I was sorry, Princess!"

"It's heiress, actually."

A new voice entered the conversation, eyes of silver and blue turning as one in surprise to the dark haired stranger that approached. She was thin and wiry, long black hair framing a pale face and solemn yellow eyes, a large black bow perched atop raven locks. Her clothes were more basic than Ruby's; black and white, plain and form fitting. Not exactly someone who appeared to share social circles with an heiress.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company," the intruder continued. "One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world. Amongst other things."

The white haired girl, now known as Weiss, smiled smugly. "Finally, some recognition!"

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners."

"Wha-! How dare you! The nerve of... Ugh!" Ruby didn't know whether to laugh or hide. For the first time since they'd met, Weiss seemed at a loss for words. She opened and closed her mouth, raised a finger to make a point then lowered it again when no point came. Finally, she settled on a scowl. Without another word, she threw the vial back into the case and closed it with a snap. Then she turned on her heel and stalked away without a backward glance, leaving the aides and luggage bearers to scramble to gather up the fallen cases and scamper after their employer. Ruby watched her go, a part of her glad to see the back of her, the rest of her feeling guilty for embarrassing the heiress, even though she _might_ have partly deserved it.

"I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day." She turned to the black haired girl hopefully, putting on her best smile. "So, what's your n…?"

She trailed off, her heart sinking as she watched another retreating back walk away from her.

It wasn't fair. Why was this so hard? Today was supposed a day of excitement and exploration, her first day on a new school for crying out loud! She wasn't supposed to have been abandoned by her sister, almost blown off the cliff and then yelled at for the Fates knew how long!

And she was still lost. _And_ she didn't know what she was doing.

Ruby felt her legs give out from under her, as though the weight of everything that happened had come crashing down on her shoulders. She flopped back against the hard stone of the plaza, eyes closed as she desperately wished for this all to be some horrible dream.

"Welcome to Beacon," she muttered to no one in particular.

"Thanks," a quiet voice replied cheerfully. "Same to you, I guess."

Ruby frowned turning her eyes upward as a shadow fell across her face. A blond boy stood over here, tall and somewhat scrawny, with a basic white chest plate over a simple black hoodie and worn blue jeans. His smile was warm as he offered her a gloved hand. "Hi. I'm Jaune."

Ruby felt a smile of her own grow as she took the hand, letting him gently pull her back to her feet. "Ruby." She paused, and then giggled when she finally realized where she had seen him before. "Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?"

* * *

"…All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!"

"Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was just the first thing that came to mind."

"Yeah? Well what if I called you Crater Face?"

"Hey! That explosion was an accident!"

While outwardly, she scowled at her new companion, inside Ruby could barely contain her glee. This was how her friendship with Jaune had begun; five minutes of light hearted arguing over Ruby's off the cuff naming of the vomiting blond, interspaced with moments of quiet as they walked the grounds in the morning sunshine. A new friend, a bright spot of hope in an otherwise miserable start to the school year.

"Well, the name is Jaune Arc." Said new friend was now glaring at her, determined not to let his new nickname stick. "It's short, sweet and the ladies love it."

"Do they?" She asked, sceptic. Jaune smiled sheepishly.

"I-I hope so. My mom always says that…" he winced, letting his gaze fall to the ground. "Never mind."

Ruby laughed, if only to fill the awkward silence. She hated the quiet that followed, their footsteps and the birds above the only sound. Should she ask him what his mother always said? Pretend he hadn't said anything and just walk on until they reached wherever it was that they were going?

Ruby chose option three.

"I HAVE THIS THING!"

Crescent Rose was in her hand before Ruby realized she'd pulled it from her back. It's scythe unfurled as she twirled it above her head, the blade digging it into the stonework of the path with a satisfying crack. Then she cringed as Jaune jumped a foot in the air from the weapon's sudden appearance. Maybe shouting random statements and throwing out weapons wasn't the best way to get his attention.

At least she broke the silence.

"Whoa!" He sounded amazed. That was a good sign right? "Is that a scythe?"

Ruby beamed, happy to talk about things that actually made sense to her. "Yep! And it's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle."

…

"A wha…?"

Ruby racked back the rifle's slide with a smile, ejecting make believe brass and loading an invisible bullet from the empty magazine. "And it's also a gun."

Jaune looked on in awe, the desired effect. "That's so cool…"

"So what do you have?"

Jaune blinked, then winced as his hand subconsciously resting on the hilt poking out of a white scabbard clipped to his belt. With a hint of reluctance, he pulled the blade from its sheath.

It was…a sword, at least as far as Ruby could see. Just a simple long blade of a dull metallic grey, attached to a basic brass crossguard and leather bound hilt. The redhead didn't care about looks though. A weapon was a weapon, and all weapons were interesting to her.

"I have a shield too." With a hopeful smile, Jaune pulled the scabbard up by the strap. With a click it expanded out into a large white shield; flat topped and lined with gold, curving down to a point at its' bottom. A pair of golden crescents stood stark against the white, the color faded with age, much to Ruby's surprise. Most students' weapons would be brand new after all.

"So, what do they do?" She traced the emblem with her finger, only to pull back as the shield abruptly snapped closed. Jaune yelped in surprise as it jumped out of his hand, cringing heavily as his precious defense clattered to the floor.

"As you can see, the shield gets smaller." He sighed as he picked the shield now scabbard off the ground, clearly wishing he hadn't shrieked like a little girl in front of one. "It makes it compact, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just put it away."

Ruby frowned. "But…doesn't it just weigh the same?"

Jaune's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, it does."

Outclassed in weaponry by a fifteen year old girl. Ruby could see why that might get a guy down.

"Don't worry about it." She tried to smile as Jaune looked at her pathetically. "I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, so I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it.

Jaune stared at her. "Wait. You _made_ that?"

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons." Jaune winced, looking down at his sword uncomfortably. "Didn't you make yours?"

The blond shook his head. "Crocea Mors is a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it during the Great War and-"

"Sounds more like a family heirloom than a hand-me-down." Ruby hoped she sounded positive, and had the smile to match. Jaune didn't look convinced. "Well, I like it. Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics…" Jaune smiled as he sheathed the sword, a look that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So, do you know where we're going?"

Ruby stopped, Crescent Rose halfway back into its holster. "I was following you."

"Oh." The blond looked around, suddenly acutely aware of how empty the plaza was. "Y-you think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?" Ruby giggled, much to his bewilderment. "I-is that a 'no'?"

She laughed again. "That's a 'no'."


	5. IV: At Beacon's Heart

Sorry this is uploaded a bit late. Some things happened, then some other things happened, then I got told my only form of transportation needs more repairs than initially thought and I completely forgot about it. So yeah, my bad.

Anyway, I've decided this will be the last full chapter I upload. I was originally going to post chapter 5, but I realized there isn't really anything new to show that I feel hasn't been shown in previous chapters (writing style, the kind of edits I make, etc). Next week, I'll be uploading an extract from Chapter 6, which depicts Ren's battle with the King Taijitu.

After that, I'll tweet a link to Miles and/or Kerry after RTX is over (I don't want to bother them when they're busy), and see if this interests them. If not, I'll either upload the rest of what I've written, or recycle it into other stories. I guess we'll see.

Anyway, you know what to do by now. Look back over previous author notes if you've forgotten. :)

Hope you enjoy.

* * *

 **IV.**

 **AT BEACON'S HEART**

At Beacon's heart, below her highest tower, was the Academy's main auditorium. A massive open air circle of space enclosed by stone walls and pillars, its central stage was used for everything from lectures to combat demonstrations, with enough floor space to house the entire school standing when needed.

To Ruby, it had seemed as good as place as any to start looking for a Welcoming Ceremony. Jaune was glad she had been right on the first try.

Today, only first years stood around the central stage, two hundred Humans and Faunus in all. Excited chatter buzzed through the air around Ruby as everyone waited for something to happen, a certain bouncing blonde quickly catching her attention above the heads of her fellow students.

"Ruby! Over here!" Yang waved her over, "I saved you a spot!"

Ruby waved back, hesitantly making her excuses to Jaune and leaving with the promise of meeting up again after the ceremony. She couldn't stop the grin spreading as she pushed through the crowds to where her sister stood near the front. Finally, things were getting back on track. She could officially start her time at Beacon on a high note. She'd made it to the ceremony on time, made a new friend along the way and Ice Queen Weiss was nowhere in sight. There was just one small thing to take care of before everything became perfect.

"So, how's your first day going Little Sister?" Yang smiled broadly as Ruby approached, blissfully unaware of the red wrath about to be brought down upon her.

"You mean since you _ditched_ me and I _exploded_?" The blonde flinched as Ruby glared up at her. "I'm just peachy, thanks for asking!"

"Yikes. Meltdown already?"

"No, I mean I _literally_ exploded in front of the school! There was a lot of fire...or was it ice?"

Yang gave her a strange look. "Are you being sarcastic?"

"I wish!" Ruby rolled her eyes. "First I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I _exploded_ , and then she yelled at me again, and I felt really, _really_ bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me-"

"YOU!"

"OH GOD IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!"

Weiss Schnee glared, looking halfway between amused and irritated at Ruby's reaction to leap into her sister's arms with a frightened cry. In the end, anger won out over both. "You're just lucky we weren't blown off the cliff!"

Yang looked between the two, not entirely sure she wanted to believe what she was hearing. "You actually exploded?"

"It was an accident!" Ruby leapt back down to the floor, desperate to set the record straight. "It was an accident!" Her eyes widened with realization. "It was an accident that _you_ -" A pamphlet was shoved in her face, bringing her accusations to a halt. "W-what's this? 'Dust for Dummies and other Inadequate Individuals'…"

"As a customer, employee and/or distributor of the Schnee Dust Company, you are directly responsible for any damage, bodily harm and/or loss of limbs incurred by Schnee Dust Company products in your procession, prior to their use or prior to their distribution." Weiss almost sounded bored, as though she was reading out her grocery shopping. "The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages customers, employees and/or distributors to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field."

Ruby stared at her, "Uuhhh...?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. Do you really want to start making things up to me?"

…

"Yes?"

"Read this, and don't ever speak to me again."

Ruby cringed as the pamphlet was pressed into her hand, the happy feeling that she'd been brimming with only a few minutes before now completely drained. It was back to the status quo. Back to shouting and embarrassment and angry blue eyes.

Yang frowned at her sister's downcast face, uncomfortable with seeing a normally happy soul now so low.

"Look, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot." The white haired heiress glared at the blonde, daring her to continue. Yang always did like a good dare. "Why don't you start over and try to be friends? That sound good?"

"Yeah…Yeah! That's a great idea sis!" Ruby put on her best smile as she turned back to the scowling ice queen. "Hello Weiss, I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? Maybe we could get school supplies later or-"

Suddenly, the white haired girl grinned. Yang and Ruby took an unnerved step back. "Yeah! And maybe later we can paint our nails, try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like tall, blond and scraggily over there." She jerked a thumb in Jaune's direction.

Ruby smiled hopefully. "Really?"

The grin vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. "No."

Then she was gone, pushing through the crowd as fast as she could with as much dignity as she could retain. Ruby watched her go, not sure as to be relieved to see the back of her or upset that another attempt to make a friend had ended miserably.

The lights dimmed before anything more could be said, although a comforting hand on her should told Ruby that Yang was there for her. All eyes turned to the stage as a man stepped into the spotlight; tall and clothed in green, eyes staring out from rounded specs beneath a fluffy fringe of light grey hair. Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, looked down at his students before him, leaning heavily on his silver cane. It was a full minute of silence before his voice rang out across the cavernous room.

"I'll... keep this brief." His voice cut sharply through the quiet. "You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, and direction." A worried whisper spread through the crowd, one that was quickly silenced when Ozpin spoke again. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to _you_ to take the first step."

Then he left, leaving nothing but confused students in his wake as Glynda Goodwitch took his place. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, you will be divided into your classes and your initiation will begin. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Yang frowned as she followed her headmaster off the stage, the lights returning to their normal brightness and the crowd of students began to disperse. "He seemed kind of...off."

"Yeah," Ruby nodded, silver eyes on Ozpin's retreating back. "It's like he wasn't even there."

* * *

 _Dear Aiden,  
It's me, Ruby, but you probably guessed that already. I mean I said I would write soon right? Is this too soon? Maybe this is too soon.  
Anyway, here I am at Beacon. I know you and the gang were disappointed we wouldn't be graduating from Signal together, but at least now you'll all know what to expect when you start here in two years. I'll be your spy within the ranks, and I won't charge lein for the privilege! (I'm still mad at Yang for trying that!)  
Not that you're missing much. There was an airship ride and a welcoming ceremony. Professor Ozpin said some…interesting things. It's kind of hard to explain. Maybe I'll try when I know more.  
Now they've got all the first years camped out in the ballroom, which is cool I guess. It's like a big-  
_

"It's like a big slumber party!"  
Ruby didn't look up as Yang crashed into the sleeping bag beside her, choosing instead to keep a firm hand on her journal and pen to stop her sister's sudden entrance from ruining her work.  
"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though." She replied once she was sure she could work again.  
"I know I do!" Yang grinned lecherously, casting a lazy gaze across the ballroom until she found what she wanted. The mass of first years had spread themselves out messily across the ballroom floor, little clusters of student filled sleeping bags chatted quietly before bed, spread between solitary sleepers tiring to get some rest for whatever came tomorrow.  
There were a few exceptions though, much to Yang's delight. Like a group of boys, not so far away. Who were tall. And muscular. And lacked anything resembling a shirt. And were currently _flexing_.  
There was also Jaune Arc. Who was tall, blond and scraggly. And currently wearing a baby blue onesie. With bunny slippers.  
Yang winced, her fantasy ruined.  
"So," she turned to her sister, "what are you doing?"  
"Just writing letters to the gang back at Signal." Ruby smiled fondly. "I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."  
"Aw, that's so cute!"  
"Shut up!" The blonde received a pillow to the face from her glaring sister. " _I_ didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!"  
"What about Jaune? He's... nice. I guess. There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!"  
Ruby scowled at her journal, signed her name, then began another letter. "Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend. Back to zero."  
There's no such things as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy!" If that had supposed to have been comforting, it hadn't. Ruby threw another pillow, just to be safe. "…Ow…. Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet."  
Ruby frowned, rolling onto her back as she closed her journal. Yang was right, as much as she hated to admit it. Still, it would have been nice, starting Beacon with more than just a couple of friendly faces, and one not so friendly one. She looked around the ballroom mournfully, taking in the groups of friends now settling down for the night…and the solitary figure still very much awake. Someone pale and dark haired, amber eyes absorbed in a book she read by candlelight. She look familiar, and yet…  
"That girl…"  
"Hm? Which girl?" Yang followed her gaze. "Do you know her?"  
Ruby shrugged. "Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but was gone before I could say anything."  
"Huh. Well, now's your chance!"  
"Wait, what!? Yang let me go! What are you doing?!"

* * *

' _A most agonizing pain succeeded it: a fire in my bones, nausea overwhelming, and a horror in the depths of my soul that could never be exceeded. Then, the agonies subsided. My mind returned to me, as if out of a great sickness. There was something strange in my sensations however. Something new that defied description and, by its very freshness, was completely intoxicating.'  
_

Blake let the words draw her deeper into the author's world, reality fading away beyond the pages of the book, the characters on the page now more real than the people around her getting ready for their first sleep at Beacon.  
This was why she loved reading; the sheer escapism that came with loosing yourself in a good book or the occasional trashy novel. A life seemed so much easier to understand when it was written with ink on paper, and her own troubles seemed so very far away whenever she read about the adventures of others, fictional or not. She could drown herself in these different and sometimes strange worlds for hours…  
"Hel-looooo!"  
…provided she wasn't interrupted.  
Blake looked over the top of her book, trying her hardest not to look annoyed or irritated at the blonde girl waving manically as she approached, dragging a slightly more reluctant redhead behind her.  
"I believe you two may know each other?" She pushed the younger girl before her, apparently proud of herself for dragging a human being across a ballroom against her will. Blake stared between them, her annoyance temporarily forgotten. "Aren't you... that girl who exploded?"  
"Uh, yeah!" The redhead smiled bashfully, offering her a handshake. "My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater...actually, you can just call me Ruby."  
Blake frowned, ignoring quiet snickers from a boy in an onesie a few bags down. She didn't take the hand, eyes instead inching back towards her book. Maybe they would get the hint.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Idon'tknowhelpme!"  
"So... What's your name?"  
The blonde was still there, still grinning. Had she been too subtle?  
"Blake."  
"Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!"

"Thanks."

"It goes great with your...pajamas!"

"Right…"  
Ruby laughed nervously as Yang's grin began to fade. "Nice night, don't you think?"  
"Yes, it's lovely!" She replied with forced cheer. "Almost as lovely as this book. That I will continue to read," she dramatically buried her nose deeper into the novel, "as soon as you leave."  
She heard a sigh from beyond the pages, followed swiftly by the sound of retreating footsteps. "Yeah, this girl's a lost cause."  
"What's it about?"  
"Huh?" Blake looked up, surprised to see the redhead still standing over her, her silver eyes now curious.  
"Your book." Ruby indicated to the cover. "Does it have a name?"  
Blake blinked, looking down at her book uncertainty. "' _The Curious Case of Doctor Burns and Mr. Gustavo_ ' by Mathew J. Heyman. It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body."  
"That sounds great." She smiled so genuinely, Blake found it hard not to smile back. "I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters...They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress."  
Blake laughed a little. "And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"  
Ruby shrugged. "Well…I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books; someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!"  
"That's…very ambitious for a child." Blake felt her smile fade with unpleasant memories. "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."  
"Well, that's why we're here right?" Ruby only grinned in defiance. "To make it better?"  
To her own surprise, Blake felt her smile return.  
"Yes." She nodded. "I suppose we are."

* * *

For anyone wondering, the book extract is a paragraph taken from _the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ by Robert Louis Stevenson, then edited a bit. This was largely done because A. I wasn't sure about copyright laws on such things, B. I'm not sure if Remnant even has a connection to Earth, so having an Earth written novella in the RWBY universe might not make sense, and C. I found the concept of Burnie and Gus' souls fighting for control of a body to be oddly hilarious.


	6. Chapter 6 Extract: Ren Vs King Taijitu

So, this will the be the last upload in regards to this being a demo.

As I said last chapter, this is an extract from chapter six, and depicts Ren's encounter with the King Taijitu.

Because the Grimm are so important to the world of Remnant, I thought prudent to include at least one Grimm fight in this demo. Out of the three I've written (the other two being Yang vs. Ursa and everyone vs. Death Stalker/Giant Nevermore), I chose Ren's fight because it focuses more on the combat itself (also Yang's fight was more about her hair than the battle and I wanted to save the initiation's grand finale for in case I actually get this published)

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Ren liked forests. They tended to be nice, quiet places. Good for introspection and long walks leading to nowhere in particular.

Unless they were infested with Grimm. Then they tended to be less than pleasant.

He'd been alone since landing, a flash of blonde whooping overhead the last he had seen of any of his classmates. That had made it easy to listen, to hear the sounds of the Emerald Forest and the heavy slither of the Grimm that had been following him for the past ten minutes.

As he found himself a clearing, he stopped in its center and turned to face his opponent.

The black head of a King Taijitu reared out of the darkness amid the trees; a massive snake, longer than Beacon was tall, now glared down at him with large crimson eyes framed by intricate patterns of bleached white bone. With frightening speed it moved, slithering through the clearing's long grass to coil up in front of the young Huntsman-to-be, striking lightning fast with mouth wide open and fangs bared. It hit dirt as Ren jumped clear, rising up without missing a beat to strike again, catching the Huntsman-to-be midair with its snout.

The blow sent Ren flying back, twisting through the air to land back on his feet as the Grimm circled again. It spiraled around him, a wall of beast and scales closing in as the great snake cut off all escape within its coils.

Ren's weapons, Stormflower, ejected from his tunic's sleeves as he leapt clear, the Taijitu's head snapping at limbs just out of reach as emerald submachine guns unfolded into his hands, their long blade attachments curving downward, glinting in dappled light.

The Taijitu hissed angrily as bullets hailed down against its hide from the Human thing robed in green. It reared its' great head to snap Ren out of the air, only to get a boot to the jaw for its trouble. The Grimm cried out as a blade sunk through scale and skin, slithering away from the pain, only to dart back around with fangs dripping venom. Earth sprayed in all directions as it crashed into the ground where Ren had stood a moment too late, the Huntsman-to-be twisting through the air to land atop the beast's head, embedding Stormflower's blades deep into its' skull.

The King Taijitu whimpered, twitched, then fell still…until the second head attacked.

Ren caught it from the corner of his eye, a flash of white scales before the fanged filled mouth descended, snapping at air as its prey leapt clear. Ren watched as the new enemy nudged its' fallen brother, pure white contrasting with pitch black, grey bone crests knocking with its' companions white.

The black head stirred, and both ends turned as one towards the Human.

When the Grimm moved, so did their prey. The black head struck, missing Ren as he leapt over the open maw, running across scaly hide and peppering every coil in his way with a hail of gunfire. He didn't see the white head until it struck, sending him flying, his weapons flung into the overgrowth. The black head saw opportunity as the Human fell defenseless to the ground. It darted round, fangs bared, mouth wide. No room for error. The mouth descended, ready to close around its prey…

Only to stop dead, inches from Ren's open palms.

Aura. The Kingdoms' one true advantage over the creatures of Grimm. The air pulsed with a pinkish light between hand and fang, venom dripping and falling onto a wall almost invisible to the human eye. The black head reared and pushed, determined to kill this Human robed in green once and for all. It pushed even as it felt the Aura bend and shift within its mouth, forming around its teeth as hands clenched around-

All thoughts stopped within the beast's brain as its teeth were pulled, shattered bone scattering with blood gushing from open wounds. The Taijitu howled from both ends as white hot pain spasmed through its body. Enraged, the black head struck. All Ren had to do was dodge, the wounded Grimm lining itself up to be stabbed in the eye with it' own fang. He didn't let the creature scream again, focusing his Aura into a single point around the fang, forcing it forward like a bullet, expanding it outwards in the split second the tooth passed through the skull. The first of the King Taijitu's heads exploded in a shower of gore, the bloodied carcass crumpling into a broken heap as Ren ran towards the white head, second fang in hand. The Grimm hesitated, a fraction of a second, before it coiled its body, ready to strike towards its prey. A second was all that was needed. Ren rolled as the white head barreled through, focusing his Aura around the final fang as he slid along the ground. Forcing it upward through the scales above.

The white head snapped back, fang jutting through skin and scale and shattered grey bone with a spray of blood. The body crashed to the ground, skidding across the clearing to stop only when it crashed into the tree line.

For a moment, there was silence. Only then did Ren let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding.

"Krrrah! Krrrah!"

Ren paused, not even having the time to wonder why a dead Grimm would make such a noise before a pair of white boots, laced with pink, laded astride him. Said boots were attached to pale legs and body armored in white and pink, topped with a heard of short bright orange hair, from beneath which bright eyes and a broad grin smiled happily.

Nora Valkyrie crouched down over her friend, vivid blue meet his magenta barely an inch apart, just to be sure there could be no mistake. He was _her_ partner now.

Ren smiled faintly. "I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like."

Nora grinned, and bopped him lightly on the nose.

"Boop!"

* * *

And that's your lot.

Thanks for reading thus far. I hope it's been worth your time.

So what happens now? For a while, not a lot. As I said before, I'll be tweeting Miles and Kerry a link once they've had time to recover from RTX. If I'm honest though, I'm starting to wonder if they'll be interested.

At any rate, at the end of August I'll post an author's note to this demo telling you good people what this story's fate will be.

Until then, I'd be interested in what people thought of what I've written, keeping in mind it's still in it's draft stages. Constructive criticism is always welcome, be it in reviews here or on the forum thread (roosterteeth dot com / forum / books / topic / 2261025).

Again, thank you for reading. Hopefully there will be more in the near future.

All the best,

Dearing


	7. Author's Note (Shelved For Now)

Well, here's something I really didn't want to write.

I've tried everything I can think of to try and contact Rooster Teeth, short of catching the first plane to Austin and knocking on their front door. In no particular order, I've tried PMing Miles and Kerry (and maybe Gray, I can't remember), tweeting Miles and Kerry (thrice), emailed the company through its' business account, set up a forum thread, posted a journal entry, PM'd Barbara just in case she could poke me in the right direction, and even showed them an original RWBY story idea I've been developing(NOAH, see below), just to try and show I was capable of more than just novelizations.

I've had no reply from anyone in the company. I am…disappointed.

But not with Rooster Teeth. After all, they're busy people and can't reply to every private message and tweet they get. Maybe they don't even pick up their PMs. I imagine everyone must get their inboxs overloaded with the things from random fans, trying to get their attention for this, that and the other.

No, I'm disappointed in _myself_ , because I couldn't figure out a way to get in contact with them properly. I knew it wouldn't be easy when I had trouble finding a proper business emails for Monty and, after his sad passing, Miles and Kerry that wasn't twitter, facebook or Rooster Teeth's Private messaging system, but I always thought the hardest part would be convincing them to take me up on the project, not actually opening up a dialogue.

As a fan of RT, you often hear the stories of ascended fanboys and fangirls who did this, that and the other and became writers, animators and other such things for the company. The way it's told, it sounds like they said "I want to be an animator, look at what I can do!" or "I want to make a game based on your franchise, check this out!" and the guys and girls of Rooster Teeth are like "Yeah, totally! Welcome aboard!". And of course it's not like that, but it does cut deep when I realise that they somehow got through to the right people, and I'm struggling to even get their attention.

I'm not bitter. Okay, maybe I'm a _little_ bitter, but there are probably other circumstances that RT takes into account. I know Barbara and Gavin were both well-known on the forums before they were hired, for example, and I'm just not a forum person. I wade through the various topics, and just can't think of anything to say. I have facebook and twitter, but I struggle to find things to post about.

And maybe it's not the right time to be asking. Looking back, Monty's death is still fresh in everyone's minds, so a guy saying "Hey, I want to write and sell a book of his series!" might not have come at the best time, even a few months later (benefit of hindsight and all that). And more recently, Miles and Arryn broke up, so maybe the same guy is just a bother to him at the moment.

The thing is, I genuinely thought this would be something that people would want, fans and non-fans alike. I enjoy reading. I enjoy RWBY. I thought the two would make a good mix. I still do, but I can't seem to find a way to contact anyone to try and make my case.

So, now what? Well, for the moment I've decided to shelve it. I did consider writing up the first volume, polishing it up, and finding a publisher that will only do a couple of books or so. I would then send it Rooster Teeth with an outline of what I want to achieve. This however costs money I just don't have at the moment, and I don't feel that I have enough talent or following for a , and I certainly wouldn't try crowd funding without RT's permission.

In the end, chances are good that I'll upload what I've written so far as fanfiction (so almost half a year's work isn't wasted), and perhaps recycle some of it into other projects, like the OC-insert I think I've mentioned before. Also, I do have an idea for an original RWBY story, currently titled NOAH (Noah, Odhrán, Aurnia, Heather), which is a mecha story focusing on a squad of Atlas soldiers taking on a White Fang cell armed with Paladins. At the moment, I have a basic draft of the open chapters, but I want to see what certain characters are doing in Volume 3, and I also want to finish Dragonoid before I commit to another fanfiction project. No idea when it will be uploaded at the moment, I'll keep you posted.

So, that's it for now, I guess. Unless someone feels I've overlooked something, in which case by all means, I would love to know. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, followed or faved. It meant a lot to me, knowing there was at least an interest in this project. :)

All the best,

Dearing


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